The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-27
DEAD WITH HIS DOG.
Grief-Stricken Over His Pets Death,
Boy Commits Suicide.

Allen Harp, boy 10 years old, the son of
gardener at Bryn Mawr, while sick with
grief over the death of a favorite collie,
laid down beside the dogs grave on Mon
day night and shot himself in the head.
John Harp, the boys father, has been for
many years past the landscape gardenerof
the Bryn Mawr Hotel, and with his assist
ant gardener Thomas Conley, and his two
eldest boys, has had the entire care of the
grounds. Allen Harp lived with his father
i'll pretty little cottage on the opposite side
of the pike, not hundred yards from the
hotel His life was as peaceful and appar-
entity as happy. and the atmosphere of his
home aud work as healthy and free from
all morbid influences as the home and life
of a worker among flowers and trees could
be. But the boy was naturally shy, silent
and moody He seldom spoke TO anyone
and to those of the guests at the hotel who
addressed him he replied in monosyl-
tables and with averted face and downcast
eyes.
The BOYS one companion and constant at
tendent was a large Scotch collie or shep
herds dog, whose dumb sympathy the 81
lent, melancholy boy seemed to find all sui
ficient in itself The summer boarders, now
that the pitiful tragedy of the boys death
recalled him so strongly to their recollection,
remember having seen this dog following
him as he moved around the grounds trim
ming the hedges or lying with its head in his
lap when he sat at rest under the shade Of
the trees.
BURYING THE DOG QUIETLY.
The dog was a pet of all the Harp chill
dren, but it was Allen who fed it and cared
for it, and it was Allen the dog preferred to
follow through the streets of the village.
This close friendship had lasted for over
year and half, when last Friday the dog
grew suddenly i'll, and on Monday Ellis,
HaIp's second son, found the collie lying
dead among the bushes at the back of the
barn. Without saying anything to
Allen, who was at work on the grounds
of the hotel Ellis and his sister dug a
grave and buried the dog at the rear OF the
barn.
Ellis wrote with piece of pencil in a
round, boyish hand, on the back of two
pieces of boards, the following inscrip-
ton:
"In memory of Shep. Born 10 of Feb
ruary 1886, taken sick July 10, and died
July Is, 1887. Age one yr. mo. and
days.
He placed the boards at the foot and head
of the grave, and when Allen returned in
the evening" told him what had happened
and what he had done. Allen said nothing
and began to eat his supper in silence, bat
before the rest had finished, without a word
of explanation, he arose and went out into
the yard.
The family continued their supper, and
then gathered on the front porch to listen TO
the music of the dance at the hotel opposite.
As they sat there sharp report came from
the garden, and Mr. Harp suggested that
Allen was firing off firecrackers, and babe
his little girl Ducilla, go and see where he
was The girl went, and returned III mo
ment with the information that Allen was
sitting on the aground besides the dogs
grave.
The brother Ellis rose, and, going to the
back of the house, saw Allen lying on the
ground He called him by name, but re
ceived no answer When he returned and
told the family this, his mother sprang to
her feet and ran to where her son was lying.
She found him with his body thrown across
the newiy-made grave, face downward,
and with his arms stretched limp and still
in front of him, with dark, red hole in his
forehead and pistol lying within reach Of
his right hand. The orchestra was playing
the second waltz in the hall of the hotel,
and as it was a warm night there We're
as many people in the grounds and on
the piaZzas as there We're in the dance
room
THE FATHERS GRIEF
Suddenly from under the trees, and up the
broad steps of the hotel, John Harp rushed,
natleSS ana COdUieSS, WIFI IL "HlUe,
face, crying incoherently for doctor, and
saying:
my boy, he is dying; where is doctor?
Help me save my boy"
The music stopped and the guests, terrified
and startled, ran into the hall and gathered
around the distracted man. William j.
Troth and L. l.. Perot was the first to I'M
derstand what had happened, and, followed
by DR.. Thomas Andrews, they hurried to
the little group standing at the back of the
gardeners house. DR. Andrews and DR..
Severy turned the boy upon his back and
made a rapid examination of his wound. 81
can do nothing here, said DR.. Andrews as
he rose; death was instantaneous. The
weapon which the boy used was an old IS
calibre revolver which had belonged to his
father and the existence of which had been
long forgotten The grave of the dog was
partly dug up as if, as Ellis Harp told re-
porter last night, my brother had
tried to lie down beside the dog when he
died and be buried in the same grave with
it," Mr. Love and Alfred Parrish carried
the boys body into the house. and the doc
tors washed and cleared away the blood
which was clotted in his hair. The boys
face was very peaceful and his countenance
without any sign of contraction.
Coroner Kingkinger impaneled a jury
Yesterday which was composed of p. s. At
tick, Morris johnson, William II. Weimer,
DR.. T. b. Severy, Charles Wcnlich and
r Cameron. They rendered a verdict of
"deliberate suicide" The funeral of
the boy will take place on Friday after
noon.